One of the lessons in our house is to know where and how your food grows. So, I set out on an adventure with my kids — one I thought would be fun. It’s blueberry-picking time.
The berry bushes, dripping with dozens of green, pink and purple berries in various stages of ripening, stand in long rows awaiting purple plucking fingers. We would fill our pails with fat blueberries bursting with juice as visions of cobblers, pancakes and fresh jam danced in our heads.
Okay, that’s the highly-romanticized image of the blueberry picking adventure I had planned. That’s the dreamy scene that played in my mind to a jaunty soundtrack. That was before we got there.
Each child, armed with a bucket, headed for the field. We carefully selected a row and marched to the middle where the attendant told us the bushes were loaded with the ripest fruit. After a quick lesson on which berries to pick, the kids were set loose to begin the harvest.
The kids had a blast. They declared certain bushes the “sweet bushes” and picked only from those. They popped plump berries straight in their mouths for a lip-smacking taste. They ran between the rows of bushes chasing insects and each other. The kids had a blast — for about five minutes. . . . . . .
My kids now know how blueberries grow. They have experienced the painstaking labor of picking them. And the best part? My picky-eating daughter who eats about five things in the world now eats six. Definitely worth it.
Read More....If you’d like to give blueberry-picking a shot, here are a few farms you might consider. You should also check out this website, which has additional options for picking a variety of produce.
Berry Patch Farms, Woodstock
Washington Farms, Watkinsville
Hard Labor Creek Blueberry Farm, Social Circle
Adams Farm, Fayetteville
DJ’s U-Pick Blueberry Farm, Lawrenceville
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